About

$22,005

pledged of $20,000 goal

375

backers

Hi - We are Joanna & Kate, the filmmakers of the feature documentary OVARIAN PSYCOS. After 4 long but incredible years, the film is *finally* at picture lock and we will have our WORLD PREMIERE at the SXSW Film Festival! We are going out on a limb here - we are trying to raise $20,000 in 3 weeks in order to finish the film and get us, and our main characters, to SXSW on time. And we need your help. Please consider donating and sharing the Kickstarter with your friends, family and comrades today.

Most sincerely,

Joanna & Kate

Our campaign goals are simple: we are asking for funds to finish the film and bring the filmmakers, and Xela, Andi and Evie - our central characters, to Austin, TX. It wouldn’t be a world premiere without the women in the film. Above all, this is THEIR story. It’s about THEIR work and it’s made up of THEIR voices. They are the heartbeat of this film.

That’s where YOU come in… We need your help with this final push! Your contribution will bring the women to the festival to stand with their story. But first, we have to FINISH THIS FILM!

Andi (right), Xela de la X (center), and Evie (left).

Riding at night through dangerous streets of Eastside Los Angeles, the Ovarian Psycos use their bikes to confront the violence on the streets and in their own lives. At the helm of the crew is founder Xela de la X, a single mother and poet M.C. dedicated to recruiting an unapologetic, misfit crew of young women of color. The film intimately chronicles Xela as she struggles to strike a balance between her activism and nine year old daughter Yoli; street artist Andi who journeys to become a leader within the crew; and bright eyed recruit Evie, who despite poverty, and the concerns of her protective Salvadoran mother, discovers a newfound confidence. The Ova’s quickly become a visible force along the barrios and boulevards of Los Angeles, while the crew serves as a reminder and refuge from violence and gendered expectations.

Ovarian Psycos founding member Xela with her daughter Yoli.

In the film we follow founder Xela, artist Andi and newcomer Evie as they confront the violence in their lives, struggle with their roles as activists, and attempt to make change in their communities -- but at its heart, the film is about the fragile bonds of motherhood and family.

The film traces the intimate, personal struggles that drive the Ovas, as they emerge from the working class, immigrant neighborhoods of Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, a community rooted in the historic legacy of the Chicano/a Civil Rights Movement, to create a hybrid form of urban feminism.

Reacting to acts of violence against women in their own community, and events in their own lives, the Ovas refuse to stay silent -- cycling through their own streets becomes an act of ground-breaking rebellion.

New recruit Evie with her bike

Women’s issues are too often marginalized, and mainstream feminism often ignores factors like race, class, and immigration status. This film has the power to raise awareness, not only about what young women of color face in East LA, but in communities across the country.

The Ovas riding the streets of Los Angeles

Getting into SXSW exceeds our wildest dreams. It’s huge. Most importantly, it means we will have opportunities to get this film out there to as broad an audience as possible, and, with your help, to bring the women at the heart of this story to the festival.

Your donation will directly support:

Online and Color Correction

Archival licensing

Graphics & Animation

Sound mix

Legal fees

A PR team

Community Outreach

Bringing Xela, Andi and Evie to SXSW (flight, hotel, etc.)

Please help us get this story out there. Your pledge will directly support the completion of the film and our travel to SXSW.

If you supported us in our previous Kickstarter campaign three years ago, we want to send you a huge THANK YOU for getting the film to this point. You have been there with us from the beginning -- you helped kick-start this project into existence. This story and film is more gripping and powerful than we ever could have anticipated.

If you can’t afford to donate this time around, we understand, and you can still support the film by spreading the word to your family, friends and folks you think might want to be a part of bringing this film to the festival.

Thank you for visiting our page and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to hit us up!

Joanna Sokolowski (Director/Producer) is an independent documentary filmmaker. She co-produced the film Very Semi Serious (2015), and has worked as a producer at Walking Iris Media and Open Studio Productions. She formed Sylvia Frances Films ​with her filmmaking partner Kate Trumbull-LaValle ​in 2013 to producer ​t​he​i​r first feature: Ovarian Psycos​ (2016)​.

Kate Trumbull-​LaValle​ (Director/Producer) is an independent documentary filmmaker who first began in the field of social justice media as an educator and program coordinator for the Media Arts Center San Diego. She ​is​ associate producer​ for PBS's No Más Bebés (2015) and is the director and producer of Ovarian Psycos (2016). In 2013 she co-founded Sylvia Frances Films with Joanna Sokolowski.

Victoria Chalk​'s​ (Editor) is a well-travelled lover of stories, currently residing in LA, with 10 years of post-production experience. Her work includes Vivre, jusqu’ au bout . . . (2010), and additional editing on Before You Know it (PJ Raval, SXSW 2013), and The Lovers and the Despot (editor: Jim Hession, Sundance 2016) She was also a contributing editor at the 2013 and 2015. Edit and Story Labs at Sundance. Chalk edited Ovarian Psycos (SXSW 2016), and is currently editing a new feature doc by PJ Raval.

Michael Raines (Director of Photography) is filmmaker and self-taught cinematographer. He is the director of Beyond There (2014), Bliss Point (2015), and Untitled (in-production). He is the DP for Ovarian Psycos.

Jimmy LaValle (Composer) is best known as The Album Leaf, known for his distinctive, dreamy, cinematic soundscapes featured on five full-length albums, in film, television, and commercials. LaValle composed original music for the films Spring (2014), Before You Know It (2013), Wonder Women! The Untold Story of Female Superheroines (2012), among others.

PRE-ORDER of the FEATURE FILM:

*One thing we want to be sure to mention is that the feature film pre-order date depends on what kind of distribution OVARIAN PSYCOS gets. Our estimated date for delivery is truly an estimate. We will certainly keep you posted on when you can expect the link to the film! Thanks for your understanding!!

Risks and challenges

It has been a long and rewarding journey -- from our start as a small and scrappy team of two to our impending world premiere. We are so close to the finish line and can't wait to share the final film with you. Premiering at SXSW exceeds our wildest dreams. But now the biggest barrier: money. Filmmaking is tremendously expensive. We have begged, borrowed and stolen so much of the labor that went into this film, but now we are facing some hard costs, and we need help with the final push to get the film ready for the SXSW Film Festival. We still need to cover the costs of a sound mix, online & color correction, archival licensing, graphics & animation, legal fees, festival fees, a DCP, hiring a PR team, outreach, and of course airfare and hotel for our central characters Xela, Andi and Evie. Our goal is to have the film reach as broad an audience as possible, and with the support of our amazing film team, the Ovarian Psycos, our grantors and YOU, we hope to get this film out there.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 35 or more
About US$ 35

PRE-ORDER THE FILM + OVA HANDBOOK

We'll send you a private link to stream the FEATURE FILM*, PLUS an OVARIAN PSYCOS HANDBOOK, created by the OVAS. It breaks down their mission statement, vision statement, principals of unity and roles.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 50 or more
About US$ 50

MUSIC AND FILM PACKAGE

We will send you a private link to stream the FEATURE FILM*, a download of the ORIGINAL FILM SCORE by Jimmy LaValle of The Album Leaf, PLUS XELA DE LA X's incredible full length album: "FEMI9mm: The Fury of a Wombyn". Xela is the founder of the Ovarian Psycos and her music inspired us and is featured throughout the film.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 75 or more
About US$ 75

T-SHIRT PACKAGE

Back by popular demand!! You will receive a custom OVARIAN PSYCOS DOCUMENTARY T-SHIRT by award winning female design duo VENA CAVA! They designed this tee with a "DIY" aesthetic special for us three years ago and its back! PLUS a pre-order of the FEATURE FILM* and the OVA HANDBOOK.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 75 or more
About US$ 75

T-SHIRT PACKAGE - Option 2

Back again by popular demand!! Get your hands on the old-school Ovarian Psycos Documentary logo, designed by our own cinematographer Michael Raines. Our logo is changing, so make sure to grab this tee while you can! PLUS a pre-order of the FEATURE FILM* and the OVA HANDBOOK.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 125 or more
About US$ 125

***NEW REWARD***

OVARIAN PSYCOS SOUNDTRACK ON VINYL!!!

This is a VERY SPECIAL offer: Get the limited edition "Ovarian Psycos" documentary Original Score on vinyl!! Jimmy LaValle of the The Album Leaf will generously produce a handful of vinyl records!! Plus, you'll receive a pre-order of the streaming film, and all digital rewards. This can't be missed!!!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 200 or more
About US$ 200

ARTISAN DOLL PACKAGE

The Ovarian Psycos doll is designed and beautifully hand-crafted by Ova Andi, complete with its own set of pink ovaries and a handwritten thank you note from Andi herself! Plus, for your generous support, you’ll also get a pre-order of the FEATURE FILM* and ALL previous DIGITAL REWARDS.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

SCREENING + VIRTUAL Q&A + WORKSHOP

Host a one-time SCREENING at your school or community group, and we'll be there (virtually) for a Q&A. Plus, we'll coordinate a special workshop with activities specifically designed for you based on our study guide. PLUS, and ALL previous DIGITAL REWARDS.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 100 or more
About US$ 100

ORIGINAL ART PRINT PACKAGE

You will receive an original OVA ART SCREEN PRINT that feature the Ova "hand sign". It’s Ova Andi's gorgeous signed, hand-printed work. There are only a limited number left. PLUS, a pre-order of the FEATURE FILM* and ALL previous DIGITAL REWARDS.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 150 or more
About US$ 150

THE ALBUM LEAF VINYL PACKAGE

You will receive 3 full length SIGNED VINYL RECORDS from our composer Jimmy LaValle's electronic project, THE ALBUM LEAF, with a handwritten thank you note. Plus a pre-order of the FEATURE FILM* and ALL previous DIGITAL REWARDS.